CREWE'S historic Christ Church is to be transformed into a hi-tech digital centre as part of a £14.1 million government windfall confirmed today.

The redundant place of worship in Prince Albert Street will benefit from £3.1m of the Future High Streets Fund to turn it into a digital technology work space to encourage new and early stage tech businesses to set up in the town.

Another town centre building which has been left unused for a long period is to be targeted for a £1.2m cash injection from the government fund. The town's former library along with Civic Centre car park will be demolished to make way for a History Centre which will house the Cheshire county archives.

The schemes are among nine projects confirmed to go ahead in Crewe as part of the government-funded regeneration drive across the country.

Crewe and Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan welcomed the award and said it was part of the Conservative Government's determination to "level up" forgotten and neglected towns.

Cheshire East Council approved the scheme for a state-of-the-art history centre more than three years ago in a joint initiative with Cheshire West and Chester Council. With the current Cheshire Archives and Local Studies base in Chester no longer fit for purpose two new centres were planned in Crewe as well as Chester.

The late Crewe councillor Dorothy Flude spearheaded a campaign to establish such a centre in the town, but its funding prospects were hit by a failed bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Now the government cash will help make the dream a reality and the centre could include a large gallery space to host exhibitions of regional and national interest, house railway archives, local newspapers and photographs as well as providing a home for the Family History Society of Cheshire.

Christ Church, with its Gothic 19th century tower, closed for worship in 2013 due to falling congregation numbers. Crewe Town Council recently hired a heritage officer in a bid to profile its history.

Now its buildings will be the base for hi-tech workspaces as Crewe looks to benefit from a 5G roll-out.

Crewe's MP said: "The Prime Minister is determined to deliver on what people voted for and level up this country.

"Funding like this shows the government does what it says it is going to do and this funding will help us build back better from the pandemic. It will also help bring new jobs into the town as we go from jabs jabs jabs to jobs jobs jobs.

"I am now hoping we get further support when we find out the outcome of our Town Deal application later this month. I am confident that Crewe is going to get the support it needs to transform over the next few years."

When the application to the Future High Streets Fund was made last summer by Cheshire East Council four of the projects were focused on making Crewe town centre more accessible and encouraging people to stay for longer.

They included improving links between the centre and the Grand Junction Retail Park; a pedestrian/cycle link from Mill Street to Crewe Lifestyle Centre; a highway link from Dunwoody Way to Flag Lane; and new digital infrastructure to support smart parking measures.

Other proposals were: new in-town residential developments and the creation of a sustainable energy network, initially linking public buildings.

The projects have been evaluated on the basis they can be put in place over the next three years.

Local Growth Minister Luke Hall said: "High streets are the beating heart of our local communities. That's why we are investing over £168 million Future High Streets funding for the North West to ensure the region's towns and cities can build back better from the pandemic.

"This investment will help transform towns across the region, unlocking new jobs, regenerating high streets and levelling up every area of the country."